FY2022 4th GXI Seminar "Development of Low-Temperature Ammonia Synthesis Catalysts: Heterogeneous Catalysts for Ammonia Synthesis at 50 °C"

The development of a new catalyst for synthesizing ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen at temperatures below 50 ºC was reported. The catalyst is a composite material of calcium fluorohydride (CaFH), a substance in which hydrogen and fluorine are bonded to abundant calcium, and ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles, and can synthesize ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen at room temperature. We focused on the strong ability of CaFH to impart electrons at low temperatures and linked this science to the development of a catalyst for the synthesis of ammonia at low temperatures. The catalyst is expected not only to significantly improve the efficiency of ammonia production, but also to lead to the elimination of CO2 emissions, a greenhouse gas, using natural energy.
Ammonia is a chemical substance essential to humankind that supports the lives of 70% of the world's population as a fertilizer, and is produced from hydrogen and nitrogen in the air via a catalyst. However, since the raw material hydrogen is produced from fossil resources such as methane, CO2 emissions exceed 3% of total emissions.